grant



(No Model.) 8 Sheets-Shee1; I. S. A. GRANT.

ENVELOPE MACHINE.

No. 432,749. Patented July 22, 1890.

I THE NORRIS PEYER5 C0,, PNOTO-UYHCL, WASNINGYON, D. D

8 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

S. A. GRANT. ENVELOPE MACHINE.

Patented July 22, 1890.

TH: uonms PETERS cm, mare-m1 (No Model.) 8 Sheets--Sheet S. A. GRANT.

ENVELOPE MACHINE.

Patented July 22, 1890.

me urmm 1 1.) 1 8 Sheets-Sheet 4. S. A. GRANT. ENVELOPE MACHINE.

No. 432,749. Patented July 22, 1890.

I \/e hay:

(No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 5. s. A. GRANT ENVELOPE MACHINE.

No. 432,749. Patented July 22, 1890.

T NORRIS PETERS cu., Mlmrumu, wAsMmG'roN, u. c.

(No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 6.

S. A. GRANT.

ENVELOPE MACHINE. No. 482,749 Patented July 22, 1890.

8 Sheets-Sheet 7.

(No Model s. A. GRANT.

ENVELOPE MACHINE.

No. 432,749. Patented July 22. 1890.

V11 EEEEE I m: NORRIS wnzfis co mum-mum, vusumm'on, n. c.

8 Sheets-Sheet 8. S. A. GRANT.

ENVELOPE MACHINE.

Patented'July 22, 1890.

(No Model.)

4 4 H/ i h UNITED STATES- PATENT @FFICE.

SIDNEY A. GRANT, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNITEDSTATES ENVELOPE MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ENVELOPE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,749, dated July 22,1890. Application filed October 20, 1888. Serial No. 288,638. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SIDNEY A. GRANT, of Springfield, in the county ofIlampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulMachine for Making Envelopes and the Like, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accon1- panying drawings,inwhich- Figure l is a plan of one form of machine embodying my'invention,the greater part of the endless drying-chain with which my machine ispreferably provided being removed for greater clearncss. Fig. 2 is afront elevation with parts broken off. Fig. is a rear elevation withparts broken off. Fig at is a vertical section on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a sideelevation, partly in section. Fig. 7 is an elevation of the sideopposite the side shown in Fig. (3. Fig. 8 is a sectional view of thecreasing and gumming cylinders, and shows also a port-ion of the framein which these cylinders are mounted. Fig. 9 is a section of one of thecylinders, showing it arranged to carry a type-plate. Fig. 10 isasection on line 10 10 of Fig.8.

My invention is an envelope-machine which simultaneously creases andgums (and, if desired, prints) the envelope-blanks, one object of myinvention being to produce machines of this sort which may be attendedto in practice by unskilledor youthful attendants.

The features of my invention will be pointed out and claimedhereinafter.

While I prefer to use a slight projection on one cylinder and a slightdepression on the other, it will be clear that a slightridge forming arectangular figure upon one cylinder and a slight groove forming acorresponding figure on the other cylinder will answer. I have triedboth forms,but prefer the former, the only advantage of the latter beingthat the slight ridge forming the rectangular figure will make its owngroove on aroll whose surface is sufiiciently yielding.

In the drawings, which show one form of machine embodying my invention,(beingthe best form now known to me,) the device by which the blank iscreased is made up of cylinders A A, one of the cylinders being providedwith a land a and the other cylinderbeing formed with a depression (0adapted to receive the land, so that when the blank is pressed betweenthe land and its corresponding depression creases are formed by thecornets of the end and side walls of the land on the blank. Cylinder Ais also shown as provided with gummers a, which are formed to correspondto the margin which is to receive the gum, and are conveniently suppliedwith gum by the gum-distributer a taking gum from fountains a FoldingbedB receives the blank after it passes from between the cylinders A A, theblank being fed positively to the folding device, which may be of anysuitable construction, but is preferably made up of the table B, foldersI) b for the end flaps, and folder I) for the back flap. The folders I)Z) W are actuated to fold the creased blank, and in the preferred formof my machine the positive feed of the blank from. the gumming andcreasing device to the folding device is ac complished not only by thecreasing-cylinders,but also by the auxiliary disks a One importantfeature of my construction is the combination, with a device for foldingthe end and back flaps, of a presser-foot, which, in the preferred formof my machine, not only holds the blank on the folding-bed while the endflaps are being turned, but also presses the back flap after it has beenfolded firmly on the underlying end flaps. This presser-foot is markedB.

The envelope is moved positively out of the folding device by means ofthe reciprocating pusher B which engages an edge of the envelope andshoves it off the folding-bed.

I prefer to feed the completed envelope from the folding device to adrying-chain D, 0

the operation of which is hereinafter eX- plained, and from thedrying-chain the cue velope is fed positively into a receiver R.

In the form of machine now shown, motion is communicated to cylinder Afrom main shaft F through gears ff, shaft f disk f rack f pinnedthereto, guarded in boxf and meshing with pinion f on shaft Thecylinders A A are each provided with a pinion f and these pinions meshtogether, sothat the rotation of cylinder A rotates cylinder A, which ismounted on shaft f mounted in a bracket F, arms f of which are providedwith eccentrics e e, (seeFig. 8,) so that when the bracket is rocked inone direction cylinder A is moved away from A, and when rocked in theother direction is moved toward cylinder A. The bracketis rocked bymeans of forked rod f pivoted to an ear f of bracket F and projectingtoward shaft f, on which a cam f (see Fig. 4) is mounted. Forked rod fprovided with roll f, co-operates with cam f to move cylinder A, awayfrom cylinder A. The bracket F is moved in the other direction by aspringf Cylinders A A are closed to engage the blank to crease and gumit, and when the blank is fed out of them are separated, so that thegummers do not come in contact with the companion roll, and they areheld apart until it is time to feed another blank-that is, until thefolding operation is sufficiently advanced to make it practicable tofeed another blank, and for this purpose I employ the dog f which iscontrolled by a treadle f Dog f is pivoted to the frame of the machineand is moved out of the way of the bracket F by pressing down on thetreadle f and is returned into position under the bracket F by a springf (a portion of which is shown in Fig. 6,) the foot being then removedfrom the treadle f The rotation of cylinder A rotates the gum-rollersthrough gears f f' ,f and f. f is a doctor for the gum-roller. Thecylinders A A arranged as shown in the drawings, have a function asfeed-rolls, but the feed from the c linders to the folding device isaccomplished mainly by the disks a above referred to, and from thesedisks the blank is guided to the folding device largely by the disks bcooperating with corresponding disks b the disks 5 being mounted on arm5 loose on cross-rod Z). Disks b are mounted in the frame of thefolding-bed B and are driven by gears 11 one of which meshes with a gearon one of the feed-rolls a which is driven by gears meshing with a gearon cylinder A. (See Fig. 4.) Rockerarm b is moved bylink b connectingthe rocker-arm with rocker-1ever 1)", loose on shaft 1) and actuated byconnecting-rod D and the cam Zon shaft f the rod b having a roll? toengage the caml against the force of a spring I), secured at one end tothe frame of the machine and at the other end to connecting-rod b Whenthe blank is fed into place on table B, the folder I) is moved to engagean end flap and turn the end flap on the main portion of the blank.Motion is communicated to the folderb through link Z9 connecting thefolder I), which rocks on shaft 19 to an ear on the folder 11 asindicated in dotted linesin Fig. 4, and this car on 11 (see dotted linesin Fig. 4) is connected by rod Z9 to a cam on shaft f the connecting-rodbeing provided with a roll 3, engaging cam 4, and being moved in onedirection against the force of spring Z) and being moved in the otherdirection by the spring I), as will be readily understood withoutfurther description by reference'to Fig. 4;. The movement of folder 1)thus combined with folder b folds the end flaps of the blank, the blankbeing held on the bed between the friction rolls b and rolls b and alsoby the presser-foot B, which descends to clamp the blank upon the tableB by the rocking of shaft Z)", which is rocked by means of cam-rod 1),fast to rocker-arm 5, and a cam 00 (shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 6)on the face of gear f, the rock-shaft being rocked against the force ofspring I), by which it is return ed to place at the proper time.Rocker-arm 5 is provided with a roller, (see dotted lines in Fig. (3,)which works with the cam 00. (See Figs. 6 and 5.) The back-flap turnerb, by means of which the back flap is folded, is moved to fold the backflap by the pusher 12 mounted in rack I7 meshing with pinion W mountedon shaft Z1 which is provided with a pinion b meshing with rack 19 whichis reciprocated by means of a cam on the face of rotary disk f mountedon shaft f As pusher b moves inwardly, it moves the back-flap turnerb'on its rock-shaft 1) against the force of springs with which that shaftis provided, the shaft being journaled in a recess in the folding-tableB. The presserfoot B, which was lifted to allow the proper motion toflap-turner I), now descends, as above explained, and is afterwardlifted by the rocking of shaft Z)" in the other direc-.

tion. Rocker-arm and the friction-disks b carried by it, are also liftedto allow pusher ISO 5 to move over the folding-bed and push the on rodZ7 and is rocked in the other direc- I tion by spring 12 with whichcam-rod b is provided,) rides up the turner 19 which is rocked to bendthe sealing-flap along the line of its crease over toward the body ofthe envelope as the envelope is pushed along under the turner Z7 and offof the folding-table by the continued forward movement of the pusher b\Vhen the drying-chain D is used, the envelope is pushed off thefoldingtable into the chain, the members d of which open to receive theenvelope and thenv close to carry it to the receiver R, the chainD beingmounted on a roll d and a sprocket (1 as will be readily understood byall skilled in the art, the shaft of the sprocketbeing provided withratchet (Z with which a springcontrolled pawl d mounted on arm (1co-operates. Arm (1 is rocked by connections c G d and crankpin (1rotating with shaft f When the envelope has been carried into positionfor removal from the chain, it is seized by fingers 1", working in thechain, the members dof which loosen their grip on the envelope, as willbe readily understood by those skilled in the art. When the envelope hasreached the said position, the fingers are actuated by the rockerarm 0",fast-to rocker shaft 0*, to pull the fingers downwardly against theforce of spring T and thereby to pull the envelope from the chain intothe receiver R. Rocker-shaft "r is rocked to accomplish this, and isprovided with an arm r connected by red o to an arm 0' mounted on shaft0 the arm 0' being adapted to engage the cam 1' on shaft f Receiver R isprovided with a follower R, which is moved in the receiver R by means ofa rocker-arm r mounted on shaft Wand actuated by cam 9*. The receiver Ris also provided with a spring-controlled guard R and with stationaryguard R Gear f of cylinder A meshes with gear a which meshes with a geara on ink-roller T, on which the ink distributing rolls t rest. Ink issupplied toinkroll T by a roll t, which comes in contact at proper timeswith ink-roll 25 rotating in fountain T, the shaft of inkroll 75 beingprovided with a ratchet 25 which is engaged by a pawl 29*, mounted onarm '6 which is connected by alink if to an ear of the flap-turner b themovement .of which flapturner causes the arm i to move, and thereby torotate the roller 15 in the ink-fountain. The roller t, which isintermediate the ink- .roller T, and the roller 25*, which rotates inthe fountain, are reciprocated between the two rollers, and areaccordingly mounted in a bracket 15 which is rocked on shaft i by an armt", controlled by a cam 15 arm 25 being provided with a roll. In orderto secure a thorough distribution of the ink on the inkrolls, it isdesirable to reciprocate one or more of them endwise, and in the machineshown the shaft of roller T is provided with a grooved hub i in thegroove of which is placed a finger t, which engages cam 9 on disk f henit is desired to print the envelope, the cylinder A is provided withtypesay an electro-typeA which is preferably mounted on a reciprocatingcarrier a so that the typeplate is in position to print when the blockis in its lowest position. The reciprocating carrier a is mounted in thecylinder A, and is moved to move the type-plate into position to beinked by cams a on the shaft of the cylinder. The carrier at is movedagainst the force of springs c0 and when the cams a are in theirinoperative position the carrier is returned into the position shown inFig. 9 by the springs a. The shaft of cylinder A is journaled in thearms f of bracket F, the eccentrics, e of these arms fitting in bearingsa, mounted in the frame of the machine. The bearings c0 and the bearin sa of the shaft of cylinder A are mounted in an opening a, andadjusting-screws a are provided for regulating the space between the twocylinders, as will be readily understood from reference to Fig. 8, thisregulation being to fix the cylinders at any desired distance apart, andbeing wholly independent of the movement of the cylinders in relation toeach other with stop-guides a, which prevent the insertion of a blankbetween cylinders A A, except at the proper time, the guides d beingmounted on a leaf-spring a and projecting above the upper surface of thetable in front .of the rolls, except when depressed by the cross-bar ofbracket F striking pins (1 The operation of that form of my machineshown in the drawings is as follows: Starting with the rack f", bracketF, and stops (0 in their highest positions (see Figs. 2, i, and 6)motion is imparted to shaftf from main shaft F and to disk f rotatingwith shaft f and carrying rack ft As the rack descends, meshing withpinion f, it carries the disk 9, which is fast to the pinion, and thepawl 10, mounted on the disk, into the position shownin Fig. 7, and whenthe rack begins its upstroke the pawl 10 engages the' toothed disk 11,fast to shaft f thereby rotating cylinder A and compelling the rotationof cylinder A and parts connected therewith. The blank is presented bythe attendant and properly gaged by the stops a, one of its flapsprojecting between the cylinders A A but these cylinders are kept apartby the dogf until that dog is drawn away by the operator by means oftreadle f when the bracket F is pulled down byits sprin g f therebybringingthe cylinders A A together and nipping the front flap of the blankbetween them and also depressing the stops (L18, the rolls A A being atthis time stationary. The blank is carried through the cylinders and fedby them positively to the auxiliary feed-disks a, (which, together withthe gum distributers, are driven simultaneously with the cylinders A A,as will readily be understood from what has been said above,) and theauxiliary disks a feed the blank to the disks b b, which guide and helpfeed the blank to the folding-table B. The feed begins when the rack fis in its lowest position and continues during the upstroke of the rackf so that the cylinders are intermittently rotated, thereby giving timeto the attendant to put the blank in place to be seized by the cylindersA A. As the rack f begins its upstroke, the pusher 19 drawn back intothe position shown in Fig. 5, and the end-flap turners h b are movedback out of the way of the blank which is being fed to the folding-tableB. hen the pusher has completed its backstroke, the back-flap turner Z)is open thatis, thrown into the position shown in Fig. 5 by its springs.As the blank thus gummed and creased by the cylinders, and also printed,if desired, is fed forward on the foldingt-ablc, the arm bfl whichcarries the friction-disks b descends to bring the disks in place toco-operate with the under disks b and thereby guide the blank into placeon the table B. When the blank has reached its proper position on thetable, the feed ceases, because the rack f then begins its downstrokeand the presser-foot B descends. As the presser-foot moves down, theend-flap turners b b move simultaneously to fold the end flaps of theblank, the end flaps being supported previous to folding by fingersprojecting from the table. The presserfoot B holds the blank in placewhile the end flaps are being turned. WVhen the end flaps are folded andwhile the end-flap turners are yet on the blank, the presser-foot Brises sufficiently to allow the pusher 17 to turn up the back-flapturner b and fold the back flap over in place on the end flaps. Thepusher b rides over the back-flap turner, lingering thereon, while thepresser-foot B descends on the flap-turner b, and thereby presses thegummed flap firmly in place on the end flaps folded underneath. The armb carrying the friction-disks 17 now begins to rise, and the end-flapand back-flap turners and the presser-foot move away from thefolding-table nearly simultaneously, and the pusher, with its fingers 12in grooves 13in table B, begins to push the envelope toward thedrying-chain. The seal-flap turner 1) now rises, the seal-flap beingcarried over the sealfiap turner by the forward motion of the envelopeuntil the turner finally brings the sealfiap into position. Theseal-flap turner is formed with a passage (see Fig. 5) for the pusher toallow the pusher to move through it and push the envelope into thedryingchain.

As the pusher forces, the folded envelope into the drying-chain andbefore it is moved back, the rack f reaches its lowest position, therebybringing the cylinder into position to feed another blank.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In an envelope-machine, the cylindersA A, in combination with folding mechanism, one cylinder having a land aand the othera depression a to make the four creases between the fiapsand the body of the envelope, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

2. In combination with the cylinders A A, one having a land a and theother a depression a and actuating mechanism to intermittently rotatethe cylinders, stop-guides c11 and means, substantially such asdescribed, (for example, bracket F, pins a and springs a for varying theposition of the stops, the stops when in one position preventing theinsertion of the blank between the cylinders and when in the otherallowing the insertion of the blank between the cylinders, allsubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination, creasing-cylindersA A, one having a land a and theother a depression a gummers a, and gum-distributer a the guinmers beingmounted on creasing-cylinder A substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

4. The improved means for creasing, gumming, and printingenvelope-blanks,composed of cylinders A A, one having a land a and theother a depression a combined with gummers a on one of the cylinders anda form A on the other cylinder to simultaneously crease, print, and guman envelope-blank, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In combination, feed-table A reciprocating stops a, andcreasing-cylinders A A, one of the cylinders having an intermittentmotion toward and from the other cylinder, and mechanism for depressingthe stops a, and folding mechanism, all arranged and operatingsubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In combination, a folding-table and folding mechanism, with feedrolls and blank creasing and gumming cylinders, one of the cylindershaving an intermittent motion toward and away from the other cylinder,all arranged to feed the creased and gummed blank positively to thefolding-table, substantially as described.

7. In combination, folding-table B, flapfolder I), flap-folder I) beingmounted at one edge of table B, pusher b and means (for enample, rack 19and pinion b for reciprocating the pusherto turn the flap-folder b andto move said pusher over the folding-table, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

8. In combination, feed-table A reciprocating stops a gumming andcreasing rolls A A, stationaryfolding-table B, flap-folders b b b,presser-foot B, reciprocating pusher b and mechanism, substantially suchas described, for actuating the same, the stops a being depressed toallow the operator to feed the blank to the creasing and gummingcylinders, the creasing and gumming cylinders simultaneously creasingand gumming the blank, the blank being fed positively from thesecylinders to the folding-bed and removed positively from the folding-bedby the reciprocating pusher, all arranged and operating substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

SIDNEY A. GRANT. itncsses:

EDWARD S. BEACH, JOHN R. Snow.

IIO

